I want to share this because it might be very useful. Recently, my paper was accepted for publication at the MICCAI workshop, FAIMI 2023, and I absolutely have to travel to Canada for this. As an Indonesian, getting a visa for Western countries, even if it’s just for a few days, is a standard procedure.

At first, I thought that dealing with the visa process would be burdensome. Well, it was. But apparently, it wasn’t as burdensome as I initially thought. Moreover, it’s much easier if you have legitimate business there rather than being just a random tourist (unless, of course, you can demonstrate substantial financial means and assets).

For me, it only took two days since I submitted my biometrics for Canada at VFS Global in Indonesia to get my visa accepted by the Canadian government. In fact, it only took a week from the day I submitted my application (or 6 days of weekday operation). Pretty fast, right?

I notice that Indonesia is one of the countries where the Canadian government processes visas for temporary stays quite rapidly. On average, it takes only about 10 days (weekday operation) from submission plus biometrics for the Canadian government to grant a visa. You can check the most likely processing time for your situation here: Check processing time

I will discuss in detail the requirements and documents I needed to apply for the Canadian Visa later. This information may be particularly applicable to Indonesians, but it may not be significantly different for other nationalities requiring a visa for Canada.

Applying Visa Online and Why You Need Latex For Compiling Your Documents

What I find most convenient about applying for a Canadian Visa is that we don’t need to submit documents on paper; we can simply upload them online (More details regarding eligibility and online submission can be found here). However, I feel that the website is not very user-friendly.

For the Canadian Visa application, you need the skill to compile everything together. This administration skill is highly useful. When I say ‘compiling,’ I mean literally compiling many PDF documents. I spent at least 3 consecutive days preparing these documents, just for the compiling part. Initially, we might think, ‘Can’t we just use online PDF compilers?

Privacy Matters

I usually use online PDF compilers when dealing with school homework or tasks, especially during my college years. However, in this particular case, we are handling very sensitive data, so we need to compile it manually.

You might find it simple if you have an application like Adobe Acrobat, but since I don’t have a subscription to the Pro version, I had to find a free and easy way to compile PDFs. The answer lies in LaTeX.

I’ve been employing this approach for about a year now. It started during my research visit to Korea, where I had to compile numerous documents for visa applications and scholarship-related matters.

The Latex Template

With this in mind, I’d like to share a LaTeX template designed to help you compile PDF documents and include figures. The template also includes cover letters that can be easily customized and reused based on your specific needs. This template aims to simplify the process of organizing your documents for applying for a Canadian visa, especially if, like me, you belong to a nationality that requires it.

Download Latex Template Here

or see the latex template on overleaf here

Contents of The Latex Template

• Purpose of Visit: Clearly state the purpose of your visit to Canada (e.g., attending a conference) and attach related documents, such as an invitation letter. Cover letter example
• Proof of Financial Means or Financial Support Statement: : Demonstrate your financial ability to cover your expenses during your stay in Canada. Cover letter example
• Travel History: Include details of your travel history for the past 10 years. Cover letter example